1. TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention generally relates to electronic systems, and more specifically relates to testing of electronic systems.
2. BACKGROUND ART
Modern life is becoming more dependent upon electronic systems. Electronics devices have evolved into extremely sophisticated devices, and may be found in many different applications. As electronics become more integrated into daily life, their reliability becomes a greater and greater necessity. In order to ensure sufficient reliability it is necessary to thoroughly monitor and test electronic systems.
One particular type of electronic component that are increasingly important are power cells. Power cells provide the power needed to run many types of systems. There are many different types of power cells, with each type having advantages and disadvantages. One example of a power cell includes conventional batteries that simply store electricity. Another example of power cells include advanced fuel cells that use different fuels such as hydrogen or methane to actually generate electricity. In many applications, multiple power cells are combined together in series and in parallel to provide the necessary voltage and amperage needed to power a particular system. For example, a string of 32 one-volt power cells can be combined to make one 32 volt power source.
In many power cells, it is critical that the voltage provided by the power cell be accurately monitored. In some cases, increases or decreases in voltage can indicate a severe problem in the power cell, and in some cases can result in critical damage to the overall system. Without a way to accurately monitor the voltage provided by power cells, the reliability and safety of these systems cannot be assured.
Thus, what is needed is an improved method and mechanism for monitoring power cell voltage.
The present invention provides a cell buffer with built in testing mechanism. The cell buffer provides the ability to measure voltage provided by a power cell. The testing mechanism provides the ability to test whether the cell buffer is functioning properly and thus providing an accurate voltage measurement.
The testing mechanism includes a test signal provider to provide a test signal to the cell buffer. During normal operation, the test signal is disabled and the cell buffer operates normally. During testing, the test signal is enabled and changes the output of the cell buffer in a defined. The change in the cell buffer output can then be monitored to determine if the cell buffer is functioning correctly. Specifically, if the voltage output of the cell buffer changes in a way that corresponds to the provided test signal, then the functioning of the cell buffer is confirmed. If the voltage output of the cell buffer does not change correctly, then the cell buffer is known not to be operating correctly. Thus, the built in testing mechanism provides the ability to quickly and accurately determine if the cell buffer is operating correctly. Furthermore, the testing mechanism provides this functionality without requiring excessive device size and complexity.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.